Electric lock-switch.



W. C. NEAHR. ELECTRIC LOCK SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,1913.

1,115,092. Patented 0011221914 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILL C. NEAHR, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROTECTIVE SIGNALMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

ELECTRIC LOCK-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 4, 1913.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914. Serial No. 771,738.

To all-whom it may concern Be it-known that I, lVILL C. NnAnn, a citizenof the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver andState of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Lock- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to electric lock switches and its object residesin providing in operative connection with a circuit controlling switch,a mechanism which can be actuated Only by the use of a special key, andwhich, after it has operated the switch to reverse the condition of anelectric circu'it in which the "latter is connected, will beautomatically locked in its adjusted position and at the same timeprevent the rcmoval of the key until the mechanism is released by theseparate adjustment of its locking means; 7

By securing the key against removal from theinst'rument afterthc switchhas been operated by the use thereof to either close a normally opencircuit or open a normally closed circuit, 1' attain the tt'ollmvingresults: 1st, the presence of the key on the instrument indicates thatit was by operation of the latter that the condition of the circuit wasreversed, 2nd a person a'tte' havingoperated-the switch cannot restorethe circuit to its orignalcondition without having the means andknowledge for releasing the mechanism by adjustment of its lockingmeans, and only duly authorized persons can return the operative partsof the switch to theirnormal position, and 3rd, by providing the keysused to operate the switch, with numbers or other distinguishing marks,the connection of the key with the instrument not only establishes thefact that the latter has been operated to reverse the condition of thecircuit in which it is connected, but also indicates what particularperson performed the operation.

W'hile my invention may be advantageously employed for many diti'erentpur-' poses, it is particularly adapted for use in conncctionwi-th anelectric signaling orannunciating-systemsuch as those. used to audiblyor visually announce the approach of an engine or train at roadcrossings, stations and other points of a railway line. hen in a systemof this type, a visible signal such as a semaphore rcniains in itsdanger indicating position after a train has passed the point of itslocation, or it a gong or other audible signal is sounded longer than apredetermined period, the circuit in which the instrument or instrumentsare located is deranged either by short-circuiting in case a normallyopen circuit is employed, or by a break in the circuit it the latter isn rmally closed. The watchman or other employee in charge of the sectionof the railway line in which the signaling instrument is disposed, orpersons living; near the point at which an instrument is located, areprovided with keys by means of which they can operate the switch for thepurpose of reversing the condition 0 l the circuit, to remler itinoperative. Inasmuch as the key is locked in the instrument after thelatter has been operated by its use, it becomes nccessacv that theperson who ])t5l"f()llll(?(l the operation notifies the signalmaintainer or other authorized person. of the imperative condition ofthe sy tem. he otlicial thus being notified has the means to restore theswitch to its normal condition and at the same time remove the key,after the defect which caused the disturban e of the circuit has beencorrected, and in doing so he ascertains at the same time by. whom theswitch was operated.

In procedinp; in ilC l'liillH'C with my invention I provide in operativeconnection with a switch, a mechanism which can be adjusted only bymeans ot a key inserted through a slot in the housing in which it is'inclosed. The means for the separate adustment ot the part of themechanism wlnch locks it in the position to which it is moved to reversethe normal condition of the switch, is accessible only at a point of thehousingremote from the slot tlnougrh which the key is inserted, and theentire deyico is incloscd in a case which has a keyholeinnegistcr withthe said slot, and

which is locked so that only persons in the possession of a second key211'? able to adjust. the said locking! means for the purpose ofreleasing the mechanism and returpirigit to its normal position.

An embodiment of my invention has been Lo. n

illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1 14:. and they areconsl'anlily niciulaf in the various VlCWS of which like parts aresimilarly designated, and in which Figure 1 represents a face view ofthe case in which the lock switch is lnclosedl Fig. 2, a transversescclion througl'i the sguue along the line 2-2, Fig. l, enlargedelevation of the switch--" men? doi xched from the case, port of its 1Join. plate having); been broken away to reveal the l1ll1- riormechanism, l, a fragnientzury View of the upper portion of the switchhousing showing the ope olive perls in the position they occupy afterthey have been mated by menus oi. the key i0 reverse the condition ofthe circuit in. "which. the switch is connected, and Fig. 5, a sectiontaken along the L l')-5, Fig. l looking in the direction of I arrowdrawn across said line.

Referring more particularly to the draw inns, lho reference character:2, designates 2L cos-o provided with a door whiol can secured in itsclosed PflSltlj-ll by means of :1- lUQli' the l-:ey-holc of which. hrsbeen shown at l in Fig. l.

The e; so which. may be used. to house the batteries or other parts 015the cleo lric systen; to which my imention is applied, is moreparticularly provided to inclose the switch so as "to prevent access tothe lock-- v w 5 all means .i'hicii forms part of ins mccluu main exceptby the use of a Key which his l; e lock or the door.

My improved lock switch has been shown in detail in Figs. 3 "no 5 ofthedrziwings, consists of 11 preferably cylindrical housing 6 thedetachul'ile face plate 6 of "which has two laterally projectingrpm-hired ears 7 for the application of screws or vets 8 by means ofwhich the instrum in; is mounted upon the inner surface of the door 3,as shown in Figs. 1 and plate of the housing is attached to thehodyporrion of the some by means of screws 3) and it has a centrallydisposed keyhole 3? which reg isters with a corresponding hole ii) iiithe door 3. The switch mechanism which is assembled Within the housingupon lhc hack plate 12 of the same, comprises a circular disk 13 whichis mounted for roto'tion in the center of *che housing and wh ch has aperipherol notch 14. The ineniii r l3 roimmhly mounted upon a stud 15which riveted in the center of the back plate of the housing andwhichluis extension 16 of reduced diameter to provide :1 pivot pin forthe rotutivc support of on axiull ljUl'Qil key .17 iiuserlciil throughtlie'regizislci'11,, holes oi "he door 3 and the plan: B. pmvls on" .i'l which arc oiwrtullumouni- .u ed on the llll c iii of poiuim oi. oppo.,io sides of the of rointiou of lhe disk 13. have :itheir l'rcc\lreuu'iuys "oi (lo-tools 20 r nd \vhu'l: m N24! nclch l cmilcict will:the nu llJQI 13 by in springs 22 and 23 a i ed at their pivoted ends.The pawl 19 is turihcrmore provided with a. pin or handle 24% whichprojects ch *ough a slot in the rear place of the housing. and itengages a. plate 25 of non-con (luctivo nmicriul which is secured. tothe resilient blade of the circuit-closing element of 3119 instrument.The blade 26 is attached. at one of its ends to the inmu-dly extendingmig'ulur sl'uinh of a. oinding post 27 applied extoriorly of the housingand the opposice free extremity of the cl-ado i* adopted to engage theinws'dly projcclirg shank of :i similarly disposed, scconcl binding post28.

r WI.

'ey-hil's. The two o'iiic. the roziry member 13 all; opposite sidesln'tior is inserted throu.

keyhol cs, and they set bury i'l11()\'-i?1l18l".ll or the rection fortho purpose 0 'lUYz'll in the instrumen nisni hereof has us Well all torcvcrse the si'vilch. the o1 hcdisk shown 7. c SCC'Hl'ECl which hy the n36, arrest the whirl the lz'i'ililfil. against r: motion, and i716detect :31 oi the opposite pawl 19 rides upon ipheml edge of the saidmember, the mcntioned 1 mil holding by engagement ith the plate theblade 26 of the switch clementin or gngement with the shank of the lllh'l l ff' no lhcrchy closing; tin} circuitsccured in apertures in 19which enters 1 out is:

of which the two posts are the terminals. To open the circuit, the key17 is inserted through the registering key-holes in the plate 6 and thedoor 3 and turned about the pin 16 on the stud 15 in the direction ofthe arrow a in I ig. 3. The bit 31 of the key engages a beveled .face 3aon the pawl 18, which extends in its path and thereby moves the saidpawl about its pivot against the action of the spring 22 until thedetent 20 has moved out of the notch 14. The rotary mem ber 13 beingthus free to move about its axis, is rotated by the engagement of thekey-bit with the pin 32 which is sufliciently longer than the pin 30 toprevent its passing through the notch in the bit 31. The memher isrotated until its notch is brought in register with the detent of theopposite pawl the same and thereby locks against further rotation whiletime the blade 26 is allowed to separate from the shank of the post 28with which it was in engagement, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Thecircuit is thus opened and must necessarily remain in that conditionuntil the detent of the pawl 19 is moved out of the notch of the rotarymember to permit rotation of the disk to its the member at the same()llglflftl position, it being observed that the pins and 33 at oppositesides of the bit of the key, prevent the latter from being turnedseparately to register with the keyholes. To restore the parts to theiroriginal position after the defect in the circuit has been corrected, itis necessary that the door of the case 2 be opened by means of a keywhich fits its lock, after which the pawl 19 is lifted by means of thepin or handle 24-. which projects through the slot in the rear plate ofthe switch housing, and the rotary member isturned by means of the key17 until the latter is again in register with the key-holes throughwhich it is removed from the instrument.

While I have shown and described my invention in the, best and simplestform at present known tome, I desire it understood that changes in theconstri'lction and arrangement of its parts may be resorted to withinthe spirit of my invention, and that while the switch illustrated in thedrawings is particularly designed for use in a normally closed electriccircuit, a slight variation in its construction is suflicient to adaptit for the control of a normally open circuit.

Having thus described my invention what .l" claim 1. In apparatus of thecluiracter described, a circuit controlling'switch, key-lcontrqlledmechanism foroperating the switch to open and close a circuit in whichit is connected, the said mechanism including a rotary member, means forlocking said member in one aiid dcsi re to secure by-LettersPat of itsoperative positions, and means for locking the same in another one ofits operative positions, and a key adapted to unlock said member byoperation of the first-mentioned means and to rotate the same until itis locked by the action of the other means, the last mentioned lockingmeans being capable of releasing the mechanism independent of any actionof said key.

.2. In apparatus of the character described, a circuit controllingswitch, key controlled mechanism for operating the switch to open andclose a circuit in which it is connected, the said mechanism includingindependently operatable means for locking it in one of its operativepositions, a removable key for the operation of said having a key-holefor the passage of sai key to. place it in operative mechanism, thelatter having means for preventing the return movement of the key forits withdrawal through the when locked in its said position.

3. In apparatus of the character descri d, a circuit controlling switch,key contr led mechanism for operating the switch to open and close acircuit in which it is connected, the said mechanism including a rotarymember, and independently operatable means for locking the latter in oneof its operative positions, a key for the operation of said member, anda housing having a key-hole for the passage of said key to relation tothe said member, the said member being adapted to prevent theindependcnt return movement of the key for itswithd 'awal through thesaid key-hole, when l eckcd in its said position. i

4-. In apparatus of the character described, a circuit controllingswitch, key controlled mechanism 'foroperating the switch to open andclose a circuit in ohich it is connected, the said mechanism including arotary member and independently operatable means for locking the latterin one sitions, a key for the bperati on of said member, and a housinghaving a key-hole for the passage of said key to place it in operativerelatimi tq the said member, the said member having two pins projectingat opposite sides of the key to limit an independent rotary motion ofthe key in either direction.

In apparatus of the characterdescribed, a circuit controlling switch,key controlled mechanism for operating the switch to open and close acircuit in which it is connected, the said mechanism including means forlocking fit in one of its operative positions, a key for the operationof said mechanism, a housing having a keyhole for the passage of the keyto place it in operative relation to the said mechanism, the latterhaving means for preventing the return movement of the key for itsrelation to thesaid key-hole,

place it in operative a of its operative po-' scribed, 21circuit-conti-olling switch, keycontrolled mechanism for operating theswitch to open and close a circuit in which it is connected, a keyfOf'iLilO operation of Said mechanism, the said mechanism includingmcans for locking it in a position to which it is moved by use of thekey, which means are adapted to be actuated for releasing the mechanism,independently of the key, and key-controlled means to prevent 10unauthorized access to said locking means.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

'VVILL C. N EAHR,

Witnesses: V

G. J. ROLLANDE L. RIIOADES.

